Everything Shetland

A Day Out

Tuesdays = flute lesson day and then into town for our messages (shopping and stuff).

The usual. We have no lives, just our routine which I, for one, adore (obviously if I could bring Lambie, it would be perfect but perhaps Lerwick is not ready for one woman and her smiling sheep).

Since my back disintegrates with no prior warning, plus that ridiculous anaphylaxis (again with no prior warning), my comfort zone is narrow. As I write this, I realise I am pretty pathetic, but hey, that’s how I roll these days.

Obviously, when I have to, I get my big girl pants on and do whatever is required – see next week when I go south. But, if I can get away with it, I tend to be a stay-at-home bird. You just never know what’s around the corner and I, for one, don’t want to know.

So, having said that, today, I had a few messages in Gulberwick – a village 2.5 miles south of Lerwick.

I took the opportunity to explore.

I was very taken with this old graveyard which has no apparent means of access, apart from over the fields. This worries me. How do they get there? Is it still used?

You can see Bressay, the island at the back.

A fierce rain shower came in.

There was a wonderful shed just sitting there.

And then a warning to the shed to stay standing because we all know what can happen in bad weather.

I have played the flute since I was 13 when doing Music O’level, I was asked if I had Grade V, which was mandatory at the time. They had assumed I did and I didn’t know I had to have it.

I went along to my piano teacher. I had been learning piano since I was 3 yo, who said no chance, I was not good enough to take my Grade V!

Then there was a school notice that if anyone wanted to try the flute for future lessons, then to go to Room blah and audition. So I tripped along as I had always liked the flute teacher. She used to smile at me and ask if everything was alright when I sat by myself on the cold stone steps outside.

I was accepted to learn the flute (no point if you have buck teeth as no note will be forthcoming) and I asked my new flute teacher if I could take Grade V by next year. She asked me if I would practice and I said I would so she said we should go for it. I passed!

Loved seeing different places in Shetland – find it so interesting. I beg to differ with the amount of history you know about Shetland – you always seem so informed and know so much history. Just out of interest (or nosiness) how long have you actually lived on the Isle of Shetland? It does seem an amazing place, steeped in history and I think you know an awful lot about it. I know what you mean about not wanting to know what is around the corner. It’s best we don’t know but concentrate on enjoying what we have here and now. I to am a homebody and am quite content, if not happiest, pottering around at home. I like routine and do not like it interrupted as it throws me off course. Routine and home make me feel secure. Once again, loved the photo’s,

I find your life fascinating too! And I enjoyed the story of how you came to play the flute! All you needed was the desire to do it and a teacher who believed in you. And just think of the pleasure that music brings over a lifetime….